Adventures in Dogsitting
by StBridget
Summary: Steve watches Bullet while Danny's gone, and the dog suckers Steve into taking him home where Ninja awaits. Bullet the dog/Ninja the cat verse.


Hawaii Five-0 is property of CBS and its creators.

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"Hey, hey, easy, boy! Down!" Steve McGarrett shoved the excited German shepherd off him, only to have the dog leap up again, trying to lick his face. "Bullet, down!" The dog obeyed, sitting in front of Steve and wagging his tail. "Good boy! You think you'd been left alone for a week instead of just a few hours." Bullet whimpered. "I know, you miss Danny. It's okay, he'll be home soon. In the meantime, I'll take care of you." Bullet was Steve's partner Danny Williams dog, but Danny was out of town at a conference for a few days, so Steve agreed to look after Bullet.

Steve patted the dog on the head and made his way towards the kitchen. He prepared the dog's food and put the bowl down in front of Bullet. The dog gulped it down as if he were starving, which Steve knew was patently untrue. Danny had fed him before he left that morning, and, truth be told, Bullet could stand to lose a few pounds. Danny refused to hear it, though. Bullet had been half-starved when Danny got him, and it seemed like Danny was trying to make up for all the years of abuse and neglect.

Steve watched the dog finish his food and moved to leave. Bullet followed him to the door and whined, clearly not wanting to be left alone. "It's okay, boy, I'll be back in the morning," Steve assured him. Bullet lay down in front of the door, head on his paws, clearly saying "I'll be waiting."

Bullet was still there when Steve returned the next morning. He followed Steve into the kitchen, ate his breakfast, then resumed his vigil when Steve left. Steve felt bad for leaving him, but he could hardly bring the dog to work. "I'll be back soon," he said in parting.

Not surprisingly, Bullet was still in front of the door that evening. His greeting was even more enthusiastic than the night before. He leaped straight up to lick Steve's face, and Steve found himself with an armful of German shepherd. "Hey, boy, it's okay, I'm here! Let's get you fed, shall we?"

The dog happily followed him. Since he'd been shut up all day, Steve decided to take him for a run. Bullet wagged his tail eagerly as Steve got the harness and leash, and they set out. Steve had been hoping for some good, hard, exercise for himself, but he hadn't counted on Bullet stopping every 10 feet to sniff at a bush. "Is this really necessary?" Steve asked the dog after they stopped for the 10th time and had only gone two blocks. Bullet ignored him and moved on to the next bush.

After a while, they headed home. Steve took the leash off and gave Bullet a treat before turning to go. Bullet started to whine. "I'll be back in the morning," Steve told him. Bullet just whined louder. "Stay," Steve told him firmly.

Steve walked out and closed the door behind him, but he could still hear Bullet's whines. Steve felt bad, but what could he do? He couldn't take Bullet home with him—his cat, Ninja, would definitely not approve, and Steve didn't think Danny would forgive him if Ninja clawed Bullet's nose—again. Steve resolutely walked towards his truck. The whines turned to frantic barking. Steve closed the car door and started the engine, but he could still faintly hear the dog. He paused, trying to steel himself to leave, but he just couldn't. Finally, he turned off the engine and went back to the house.

Bullet's barks turned joyful when Steve opened the door. "Okay, okay, you can come with me," Steve said. "But you're staying in your pen, and I'm not going to be responsible for anything Ninja does." Bullet just wagged his tail and followed Steve around as he gathered everything he'd need for Bullet's stay.

Steve left Bullet in the car while he lugged in all the stuff. Did one dog really need so many things? He didn't have this much for Ninja. Well, okay, maybe he did, but still. . .

The cat in question was watching from his perch as Steve brought in Bullet's pen and bed and set them up in the corner of the living room. Ninja's tail swished back and forth. "I know, I know," Steve said, "but he wouldn't calm down. I was afraid the neighbors were going to call animal control. What was I supposed to do?" Ninja just glared at him.

Once installed in his pen, Bullet seemed content to lie on his bed and chew on a bone. Ninja sniffed at him through the pen, the stalked off to lie on Steve's lap, glaring at the dog across the room. The cat was clearly tense and unhappy, but Steve was just glad to avoid bloodshed.

After a while, Steve moved Ninja from his lap and got up to go upstairs. Bullet whined from his pen. "No, Bullet, you stay here," Steve said firmly. Bullet whined again and crouched down, ready to spring. "No, Bullet," Steve started as the dog cleared the pen and landed at his feet. Well, now Steve knew why Danny usually put a lid on the pen. Steve had forgotten to bring it, though. So now what? Clearly, leaving Bullet down here was not an option, but neither was bringing him up to the bedroom. Ninja had been tolerant so far, but that would definitely be too much. But what choice did he have?

Steve sighed. "Fine, you can come with us." He got Bullet's bed and carried it upstairs, laying it carefully in a corner of the bedroom. Steve pointed to it. "Bullet, down!" Bullet lay on the bed and looked up at Steve. "Bullet, stay!" Bullet whined softly and thumped his tail, but didn't move as Steve got ready and got into bed, Ninja curled on the pillow above his head.

Steve was just about asleep when he felt the bed dip. "Bullet," he said warningly. He was answered with a soft whine. Steve turned to see the dog lying on the other side of the bed, looking mournful. Steve looked to see how Ninja was taking the intrusion. The cat opened one eye and hissed softly, then went back to sleep. "Okay, fine, but you have to stay there," Steve said. Bullet whined in agreement. Steve turned back over. He felt the bed move. He rolled over again to find Bullet looking at him innocently, several inches closer. Ninja was hunched up, hackles raised, hissing. Steve petted him soothingly. "It's okay, he won't come any closer." Steve glared at Bullet as if daring him to contradict him. The dog crept closer. "Bullet. . ." Bullet looked at him pleadingly. Ninja eyed the dog warily, but reluctantly settled back down on Steve's pillow. Steve lay back down. The bed moved again. Ninja shifted, but stayed quiet. More movement. No response from Ninja. Repeat. After a few more iterations, Steve felt a large head on his shoulder. He checked above him, but Ninja seemed unconcerned. Okay, then. "Comfy, boy?" Steve asked, scratching the dog's head. Bullet settled in closer, and dog, cat, and man drifted off to sleep.

When Steve woke up in the morning, Bullet's head was still resting on Steve's shoulder, but Ninja was gone. Steve looked around, finally spotting the cat curled up in the middle of Bullet's bed. He felt bad that Bullet had displaced Ninja, until the cat stirred, stretched, yawned, looked at Steve, made himself comfortable, and fell back to sleep. Clearly, Ninja hadn't been upset at being displaced, just being an opportunist as seeing a big, comfy bed available just for him.

Steve left for work, leaving the animals still asleep in the bedroom, Bullet on the bed, Ninja on the cushion. He prayed that the truce would last until he came home.

The day was uneventful, and Steve was able to go home at a reasonable hour. He entered the house, surprised when neither cat nor dog greeted him at the door. He looked around. Nothing seemed out of place. He went up to the bedroom to put on swim trunks and go for a swim. The sight that greeted him stopped him in his tracks. Ninja was curled on the dog bed where Steve had left him, but now Bullet was curled around him. Both were sound asleep.

As if sensing Steve's presence, Ninja stirred. When he spotted Steve, he leaped up and stalked off, turning his back to Steve and sticking a hind paw in the air. Steve chuckled. Guess he needn't have worried after all.

Steve was watching the game Saturday, Ninja on his lap and Bullet on the couch next to him, when he got a frantic call from Danny. "Steve! Bullet's gone!"

Steve looked guiltily at the dog lying next to him. Oops, he forgot to tell Danny the dog had come home with him. "Relax," Steve said into the phone. "Bullet's fine."

"No, Steve, no he's not. He's gone! So's his pillow and his pen and his food. I think somebody stole him!"

"Danny, Danny, calm down. Bullet's right here."

"What's he doing there?" Danny demanded.

"He was lonely, so I brought him home with me. I guess I forgot to tell you."

"Don't move; I'll be right there."

Steve heard the Camaro pull up a few minutes later. The door slammed, and Danny came flying into the house. "Bullet! There you are! I was so worried! That nasty cat didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Not a scratch," Steve assured Danny. He gestured at his lap, and Danny noticed Ninja as his proximity to Bullet for the first time. "They seem to have made friends."

Danny sniffed. "Traitor. Leave it to my dog to make friends with your stupid cat."

"You like my stupid cat, too, admit it," Steve told Danny.

"I do not!"

"Whatever you say." Steve gestured to the sofa on the other side of Bullet. "We're just watching the game. Come join us."

"Okay, fine." Danny threw himself down on the couch and settled in. Ninja got up and moved over, settling in Danny's lap. Danny glared but didn't move the cat. Steve just grinned.

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A/N: Everybody's friends now. Hope you're happy. :)


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